Health Corner
Welcome to the Township of Sparta’s Health Corner, sharing public health issues and services available to our residents. Our Sparta community is an active and healthy one, and there is always new information available to inform and educate. Please share this resource with your friends and family. Stay healthy!
The Township website is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This website provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided is not a substitute for medical or professional care and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation, and/or advice of your physician or healthcare provider. If you believe you have a medical emergency, please contact 911 or your physician. If you believe you have any other health problem or have any questions regarding your health or medical condition, you should promptly consult your physician or healthcare provider. Please do not disregard medical or professional advice, or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website or any information linked in. Please do not rely on any information on this website in place of seeking professional medical advice. Health and Medical information changes constantly and the information on the Township’s website or websites linked therein should not be considered complete or exhaustive. This “Sparta Health Corner” must not be construed as the Township providing any medical recommendations or endorsements. Thank you.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness
Colorectal cancer screening saves lives.
Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum). If you’re 45 to 75 years old, get screened for colorectal cancer regularly. If you’re younger than 45 and think you may be at high risk of getting colorectal cancer, or if you’re older than 75, talk to your doctor about screening.
Colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer don’t always cause symptoms, especially at first. That is why getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer is so important..
Learn More Here
Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Health, Office of Public Health Nursing
Communicable Diseases, Clinics, Outreach Events, Public Education and Upcoming Events
January 2023
Child Health Conference
Next Clinic Date: March 28
Complete physical exams, screenings, and age-appropriate immunizations for children ages 0-5 years old that are without health insurance. A clinic was held on January 24 and (3) three children were seen. Clinics are located at the Public Health Nursing Office, 201 Wheatsworth Road, Hamburg, NJ. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling 973-579-0570. Clinic dates are posted on the website.
Health Check Clinic
Next Clinic Date: March 28
This clinic offers vaccines for adults and school-aged children. There is no fee for vaccines if uninsured or underinsured. A clinic was held on January 24 and (3) three patients were seen. Clinics are located at the Public Health Nursing Office, 201 Wheatsworth Road, Hamburg. Appointments are required. Please call 973-579-0570 ext. 1275 to schedule an appointment. Clinic dates for 2023 are posted on the website.
Men’s Health Screening.
Next Clinic Date: May 2023
Under the direction of the NJCEED Program, a clinic is held twice a year. Prostate and colorectal testing is done along with a free PSA blood draw. Health education will include prostate health, smoking cessation and colorectal cancer information. Participants are encouraged to bring back their colorectal test kit sent to them prior to their appointment. This clinic is free to all NJCEED participants and those men who are uninsured or under-insured. Appointments are required. Please call 973-579-0570 ext. 1246 to schedule an appointment
Complete Metabolic Profile (CMP)
Next Clinic Date: May 2023
A blood screening was offered on December 17th, 11 patients were screened. Including lipid profile tests, glucose, liver function tests, kidney function tests, complete blood counts and more. Fee for the clinic is $50. Appointments are required. Please call 973-579-0570 ext. 1275 to schedule an appointment.
COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
Clinics will continue to be updated on the SC website as they are scheduled. Public Health Nursing also continues to do weekly home-bound vaccinations.
COVID-19 Testing kits:
The Sussex County Division of Health continues to offer information on the SC website on how to obtain at home testing kits. All residential households are now eligible for an additional order of free at-home COVID-
19 test kits through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Please note the following:
- Each order now includes eight (8) rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
- Your order of eight (8) tests will come in two (2) separate packages, with four (4) tests per package;each package will have its own tracking number.
- Packages will ship free through USPS.
The Office of Public Health Nursing received a shipment of 7500 COVID-19 tests. The tests have been distributed to the community, and all municipalities, Daycare, Sussex County employees, community partners, outreaches, and activities around the county.
County School Immunization Audits
Public Health Nursing staff audits the student immunization records for compliance with NJ State regulations in all Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School and Childcare Centers in Sussex County. This is done on an annual basis as required by the NJDOH.
The SC Office of Public Health Nursing COMPLETED the 2021-2022 school year audit and report was submitted to the NJDOH on 03/30/2022. Due date for submission is 06/30/2023.
Sussex Warren Chronic Disease Coalition (SWCDC)
SWCDC was awarded the NJ (Office on Cancer Control and Prevention) OCCP grant for 7/1/2022 through 6/30/2023.
We have been outreaching in Sussex County at various municipal days and events with community partners. For the upcoming summer season we have been promoting sun safety for adults and families. For the month of June we promoted Cancer Survivors.
Partnering with SC NJCEED and identifying opportunities for in-person outreach in the next 3 months. Areas of health disparities have been identified and are targeted. Information about Cancer Prevention and Early Detection is promoted at each event. The SWCDC utilizes opportunities to work with community partners to promote all programs that provide health education. Topics of interest are cancer prevention and early detection. SWCDC grant is in year 5 of a 5 year grant cycle. April 1, 2022 will release the RFA for the next grant cycle. We will submit a Letter of Intent. (LOI) Year 1 will remain the same as this year, year 2 will be competitive.
Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)
The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and the Community Health Improvement plan (CHIP) are completed and have been sent to the state of New Jersey. They are located on the Healthy NJ 2030 site: HERE
They are also located on the North Jersey Health Collaborative (NJHC) website: HERE
We are now entering the implementation phase of the CHIP. With funding from the NJACCHO grant SCHD will collaborate through the NJHC with our community partners to continue our work to improve health in Sussex County. Data from all partners will be collected and analyzed to track the progress of our interventions.
The last Sussex County Health Collaborative meeting took place on January 25, 2023 at 11:00am via ZOOM
Lead Program
The Office of Public Health Nursing continues investigating childhood elevated blood lead levels. The nurse case manager conducts home investigations and provides care coordination for those with elevated levels. Nurse case manager provides outreach and education with various partnerships within the county. Outreach to pediatricians and clinics continues with the goal of increased screening of those populations most at risk. There are currently six cases open and under investigation. Past events included outreach during Storytime at Sussex County Library’s branches on 1/4/23, 1/9/23 and 1/23/23.
Upcoming events: include outreach at Sussex Wantage Library on 2/9/23.Tentative outreach scheduled with Norwescap Head Start in Newton for 2/23/23. Meeting with outreach representative at Zufall Newton to discuss education and outreach opportunities on 2/7/23 and meeting with the Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey on 2/8/23.
COVID-19
The Sussex County Health Department continues to address the ever-evolving Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) under the New Jersey State Department of Health. Daily positive cases are entered into the CDRSS and CommCare systems for case investigations and follow up contact tracing.
The dedicated staff works continuously, to provide necessary guidelines and answer any questions regarding isolation and quarantine recommendations.
Special Child Health Services (SCHS) Accomplishments:
Case Managers continue to assist families with the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF). Case Managers work with Family Resource Specialists from the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) to assist families with educational needs and resources. Special Child Health Services works with Autism NJ to provide resources to families.
New Year, New Travel Resolutions!
Is healthy travel on your New Year’s resolutions list? Make sure you're prepared for your trip!
Check out CDC’s Destination Pages for the latest information on safe and healthy travel to your destination. No matter where you’re going, you can find what vaccines or medicines you may need and what diseases or health risks are a concern at your destination.
Learn More Here
Need Travel Vaccines? Plan Ahead.
International travel increases your chances of getting and spreading diseases that are rare or not found in the United States. You may need travel vaccines to help you stay healthy on your trip.
Before you travel abroad, it’s important to visit a healthcare professional or a travel health specialist at least one month before you leave. They can help you get destination-specific vaccines, medicines, and information. Some vaccines require multiple doses, so it’s best to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Learn More Here
Traveler Genomic Surveillance Program Expansion
Travelers’ Health is excited to announce the expansion of the Traveler Genomic Surveillance (TGS) program to two additional international airports, Los Angeles and Seattle. This expansion is helping CDC continue to detect new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 among international air travelers. In total, the TGS program currently has sites in seven major U.S. international airports:
• Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta
• John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Newark Liberty International Airport
• San Francisco International Airport
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Washington Dulles International Airport
The next time you travel through one of these airports, stop by the TGS booth, volunteer to participate, and receive a free COVID-19 at-home test kit for your time contributing to public health.